


Wherever You Find Love, It Feels Like Christmas

by green78



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-28
Updated: 2014-11-28
Packaged: 2018-02-27 08:04:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2685389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green78/pseuds/green78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mid-Season 2 AU onward. The holiday season is the perfect time to start over and add a little something new... (Originally published on livejournal in 2011, title from the song of the same name.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hear the Angel Voices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned in the summary, this was originally published on livejournal in 2011, then moved over to ff.net, and now I'm moving it over here. This is interspersed with a _lot _of links to Christmas music and a few little RL moments.__

Helena first noticed Myka’s disappearance on the last Sunday evening in November. At about 6:30, the brunette headed into town and didn’t return until after nine, repeating the ritual on Tuesday and Thursday. The next Sunday afternoon, Helena saw Myka backed up against the wall by Claudia, who seemed to be yelling something about “being treated like a little kid.” That night, Claudia disappeared with Myka, joining her on Tuesday as well. On Thursday, Leena joined in on the vanishing act, leaving Helena, to her chagrin, stuck with Pete and Artie.

About a half-hour after Myka, Leena, and Claudia left on Sunday, Pete (finally) stood up from the couch where he’d been absorbed in  _Call of Duty_  and stretched. “Artie, I’m going into town to go Christmas shopping. You coming?” A grumbled “no” came from the kitchen, prompting Pete to mutter, “well ‘bah humbug’ to you too” in return.

Helena, seeing her opportunity, leapt to her feet. “I’ll go,” she said quickly. Pete looked at her and shrugged his acquiescence before heading for the door. Helena allowed herself a small smile of triumph as she followed. She even made conversation with Pete in the car to keep him from pestering her, though all the while she was devising a plan as to how to find Myka and the others.

Helena parted ways with Pete after they parked, and she spent a bit of time “window shopping,” as Claudia had described it to her. She was just admiring a thick but stylish overcoat when a very familiar sound reached her ears, and she turned to identify the source; from the church a little way down the road came the unmistakable harmony of voices invoking a Christmas carol. Smiling broadly, Helena hurried down the road to the church, having the sneaking suspicion that that’s where she’d find her friends.

The small choir was practicing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” as Helena slipped through the large double doors. As she slowly walked down the aisle and past the pews, she couldn’t help but admire the stained glass windows that spanned the walls. The church was the oldest building in Univille – a high-ceilinged stone building with a bell tower on the far end that chimed the hour. There was a large pipe organ in the back, though there was also a piano to the side of the stepped semi-circle that made up the stage. Still, the choir sang a cappella.

Leena saw Helena approach first, and her smile was strangely knowing, even as she kept singing. As Helena got closer, Claudia noticed and waved, a wide grin splitting her face. Myka caught the action and turned to look in Helena’s direction. Her first expression was a mix of shock that Helena was there and guilt and embarrassment that she’d been caught. The brunette recovered quickly though, and gave the other woman a shy smile. Helena smiled in return, but couldn’t help feeling a pang in her heart. Why hadn’t Myka invited her to this? Why was this something she only shared with Claudia and Leena? Myka must have seen the hurt in her eyes because she suddenly looked stricken, and Helena could have sworn she saw her flinch as she lowered her gaze to her music folder.

The hymn ended, and Helena applauded, catching the choir director’s attention. “Welcome!” the woman said cheerily, sporting the hint of an Irish accent. “Come to sing with us?”

Helena met the choir director’s gaze, then looked at the group. There were about fifteen people there, most of them high school or college students with a few more girls than boys. Looking back at the choir director, Helena smiled and shrugged. “Why not?” she replied, taking off her coat.

Upon hearing her accent, the woman grinned. “Excellent!” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Liz.”

“Helena,” Helena replied, shaking her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

 “And you. Do you know what part you sing?”

“Alto.”

“Excellent, excellent, you can stand between Katy and Claudia.” Liz pointed to the space between Claudia and a tall, bespectacled girl with thick brown hair pulled back in a loose bun. Helena thanked the choir director and grabbed a folder of music before going to stand in the indicated spot.

“’Sup, HG?” Claudia asked, grinning as she bumped her shoulder against the other woman’s. Helena couldn’t help but grin in return.

“Right, ‘[Ding Dong Merrily on High](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNKZJP4i2Ps),’” Liz said, and everyone pulled their music out of their folders. As they did, Helena chanced a look at Myka. The woman still looked rather shamefaced and refused to so much as glance in Helena’s direction. Helena tucked the strange behavior in the back of her mind to inquire about later, turning back to her music.

“You know, we  _really_ do need another tenor for this particular piece,” Liz was saying, looking pointedly at Claudia. Claudia met her gaze, then glanced at the two boys standing closest to her. They were both looking at her with rather pleading expressions. After a moment of staring back at them, Claudia rolled her eyes.

“Oh, all right,” she said, prompting the boys to go “yes!” in response. Helena looked at the young woman in surprise.

“You sing tenor, Claudia?”

Claudia shrugged. “Contralto,” she explained. “I’ve got a bit of a range.”

“Impressive,” Helena said with a smile. Claudia beamed.

The tenors and basses had trouble with their notes, as they had large intervals to jump, and the basses had some difficulty keeping their rhythm, but eventually they mastered their parts as best they could for a first read-through. The alto part wasn’t as difficult, and when Helena began to sing with the rest of the section, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of Myka snapping her head around to stare at her. When Helena turned to look at her though, the brunette had gone back to staring at her music.

When the sopranos practiced their part, Helena could pick out Myka’s and Leena’s voices immediately – not because the sopranos didn’t sing well together, because they did, but because Helena knew the two women so well. Leena’s voice was high and sweet while Myka’s was full and rich, and it was Helena’s turn to stare at Myka, enchanted and awestruck. Myka must have been able to feel her gaze because her eyes darted briefly in Helena’s direction, and when she and the other sopranos had finished practicing, there was a slight flush to her cheeks.

“Ok, let’s try it all together,” Liz said, and everyone stood a little straighter in preparation. She gave everyone their starting notes before giving them a measure of the tempo. They blended nicely and harmonized well, needing only a few stops for corrections. When they’d finished that song, they practiced “[Carol of the Bells](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0IR2GvV5Bc)” (for which Claudia rejoined the altos) and then ended the session at nine. After spending a brief moment chatting with Liz, Helena said her goodbyes and joined Myka, Leena, and Claudia as they exited the church.

Claudia and Leena enthused about the music as they headed down the sidewalk to where Leena had parked, but Myka and Helena walked side-by-side in silence. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Helena finally asked, voice quiet.

“I’m sorry!” Myka burst out, stopping and turning to Helena. After having held her feelings in for the whole night, her words tumbled forth in a flood. “I wanted to surprise you! I wanted you to come to the service and sit in the front row so you could hear us sing. I wanted to have it be like a Christmas present, and make you smile, and I’m so sorry!”  _I wanted to sing for you!_ she added to herself.

When Helena finally took in what the brunette was saying, noticing with dismay that her eyes were filling with tears, she wrapped the woman in a tight hug. “Myka, Myka,” she soothed, stroking her hair. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry for! It was a lovely, lovely thought!” Myka returned the embrace and buried her face in Helena’s shoulder, trying to hide the fact that part of the reason she did so was to savor the woman’s warmth and sweet, unique scent. “I’m touched, Myka, truly,” Helena whispered into her ear before pulling back and smiling, “but I’m even more honored to be singing by your side.”

Myka bit her lip, a shy smile forming on her lips as Helena’s words made her heart flutter. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

“Not at all, darling – thank  _you_ ,” Helena replied, taking Myka’s hand as the two continued down the street after Claudia and Leena. The feel of Helena’s skin against her own made Myka lightheaded, and she had the brief, giddy wish that she could hold the woman’s hand forever.

The group ran into Pete on their way back to Leena’s car, which saved Helena the trouble of having to hunt him down and assure him she hadn’t been kidnapped. That done, the four women headed back to the B&B, all the while laughing and chatting about rehearsal, even practicing a little, their two-part harmony crystal clear. Though none of the four would say it, they were all happier than they could remember being in a long time.

* * *

“All right, ‘O Holy Night,’” Liz said, and everyone rifled through their music in compliance. Myka saw a strange look flicker briefly across Helena’s face, but she couldn’t quite place its meaning. “Who wants to take the solo?” Liz continued.

“Myka does!” Claudia said with a grin. “It’s her faaaaaaavorite.”

“Claudia!” Myka exclaimed, blushing. She noticed that Helena wore the same unreadable expression again, but it passed too quickly for Myka to interpret.

“Do you want to, Myka?” Liz asked.

The brunette bit her lip. “I dunno – I usually have trouble with the high note….”

“I have every faith in you, darling,” Helena said, and something in the soft tone of her voice made Myka suddenly want the solo more than anything.

“Ok,” she agreed.

When Helena heard Myka’s voice on its own, her tentative invocation of the melody echoing throughout the church, she was so overwhelmed that she thought she was going to drop to the ground sobbing.  _Fall on your knees, / O, hear the angel voices,_ Helena thought to herself, willing away the tears. Even when Myka had stopped and the other sections learned their parts of the song, the beauty of the brunette’s voice still affected her, making her weak at the knees as her heart nearly doubled its pace. Myka, for her part, was surprised at the ease with which the song came to her. She absolutely adored the carol, but had never been able to sing it as well as she would have liked, her voice always trembling on some notes and faltering on others. Now however, she slid through every note without faltering, her voice carrying strongly throughout the piece. She was so surprised that when it came time to approach the high note, she didn’t have time to be nervous. Instead, she found herself glancing at Helena as she took a deep breath.

 _“O night divine,”_ she sang, the held high G and step down to F ringing clearly.  _“O night… / O night divine!”_

There was massive applause when the song was finished, and Myka flushed deeply, though there was a broad grin on her face as she faked a curtsy. She looked over at Helena to see what she thought and was stunned by her reaction. The dark-haired woman was smiling back at her, but the tears she had been fighting so hard to hold back were welling in her eyes, threatening to escape. Myka wanted nothing more than to leap over and hug her and ask her what was wrong and tell her everything would be all right, but then everyone was swept back up into the commotion of changing music, and Myka could only vow to be there for Helena when practice was over.

* * *

“Helena, are you all right?” Myka asked the instant they had left the church, taking the woman’s hand. Helena had the irrational temptation to respond that, now that Myka was holding onto her, everything was perfect, but instead smiled sadly, wiping at her eyes.

“I’m fine, darling, it’s just…‘O Holy Night’ was Christina’s favorite carol too.”

“Oh, Helena.” Myka pulled the woman into a gentle embrace, placing one hand on her back as she gently stroked her hair with the other. She didn’t comfort the woman with words; she merely held her, rocking her back and forth in her arms.

Helena closed her eyes and she leaned into Myka, focusing on forever imprinting the feel of Myka’s warm arms to her memory. “Thank you,” it was her turn to murmur.

“Anytime.”

* * *

Christmas Eve, the day of the concert, had Claudia bouncing with excitement as she told Artie about previous rehearsals; Leena baking cookies for the reception with Pete “helping” (mostly by trying to eat the dough, forcing Leena to smack him away with the wooden spoon every so often); and Myka and Helena pacing in their respective rooms, each lost in her own thoughts.

Myka had something she so desperately wanted to tell Helena, but the thought of doing so terrified her. They weren’t distant by any means, but they weren’t exactly close, and hadn’t even so much as…so much as what?  _What am I expecting?_ Myka thought.  _What do I_ want _?_ She had no idea if the dark-haired woman even felt for her at all, let alone felt the same way Myka did, and Myka was afraid that such a strong revelation of her own feelings would push Helena away. Still, it needed to be said; Myka needed to say it, no matter what the outcome.

Helena was just as anxious, balancing on indecision like a knife-edge. On the one hand, she absolutely _couldn’t_ lose Myka, but on the other, she wanted to know what it was like to have her in the first place. But every day she spent with Myka, every day she heard her laugh and saw her smile, the more her yearning overrode her fears, though it did nothing to quell the nervousness that came with the thought of approaching Myka in the first place. Helena took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm her already-pounding heart and the fluttering in her stomach. She knew what she wanted, and what better night than Christmas Eve to ask for it?

Myka’s and Helena’s decisions and the possible outcomes that would result from them made time seem to both drag by with agonizing slowness, building up the nervous anticipation, and yet simultaneously blink by, leaving no opportunity to prepare eloquent declarations that would most likely be forgotten when the moment came anyway.

Six pm found Leena, Claudia, Myka, and Helena arriving at the church, 6:15 had them burgundy-robed and warming up, and at 6:25, the choir fidgeted in the first two rows of the pews, waiting for their time to stand and sing in the Christmas Eve service. The four girls were delighted when Pete and Artie showed up. Despite being Jewish, Artie had admitted – quite readily, surprisingly enough – that he loved Christmas carols as much as the next person and was willing to “sit through a service if it meant hearing his favorite ladies sing.” Myka and Helena were startled but happy; Leena admitted to Claudia that she’d spiked Artie’s eggnog a little early.

The service was more carols than anything, punctuated by snippets of history and descriptions of various ways Christmas was celebrated both past and present. The songs varied in history and tradition as well, with Claudia and the alto girl Katy taking solos in the Latin hymn “[Gaudete](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=447ZTXdDODQ&feature=related)” and Leena singing the melody of a[rather Gregorian version of “The Little Drummer Boy”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEcCGN7diwU) while one of the basses accompanied her on a snare drum. Liz played the piano, trusting everyone to know the tempo of each song well enough by that point to keep time themselves.

Myka’s favorite song besides “O Holy Night” was “[Christmas Pipes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcVSsldwV1w)” because of its lighthearted tempo and tune…and because Helena was one of the four soloists. When the dark-haired woman began to sing, Myka had to keep the smug grin off her face at the sight of Pete’s and Artie’s stunned reactions.

_“Christmas strings, Christmas strings,_  
 _Playing the peace that Christmas brings,_  
 _Fiddle and bow, gentle and low,_  
 _Play me your Christmas strings!”_

When the time came for “[O Holy Night](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1egBQ5b6gGs),” Helena didn’t even bother trying to hide her smile. Artie and Pete were visibly blown away, completely agape. Helena, as she had been since the first time she heard Myka raise her voice in the familiar words, was overwhelmed by its beauty, by  _Myka’s_ beauty, and Helena’s heart sang with her.

_“Fall on your knees,_  
 _O, hear the angel voices…”_

The choir ended with a complicated but glorious rendition of “The First Noel” that they’d spent extra hours practicing in order to perfect. It got them a standing ovation, and Liz’s surreptitious fist-pump of victory put Claudia and two of her tenor friends in fits of laughter.

Following the service were the obligatory cookies, hot chocolate, and socialization, though Claudia had told Helena, along with an accompanying eye-roll, that the words “Artie” and “socialize” were such strongly repelling magnets that they never ended up in the same paragraph, let alone sentence. So Artie took up position in Leena’s shadow while Claudia, Pete, and a couple tenors and basses made up slightly more questionable lyrics to some of the Christmas Carols from the service. Myka was talking with Liz, so Helena took the opportunity to slip outside.

Helena sighed as the cool night air swept across her face, carrying the light snow that had just begun to fall. The sparkle of each snowflake in the moonlight brought a flash of memory, of Christina dancing before her in the same flakes as she tried to catch them on her tongue, and with the image came a wave of sorrow Helena couldn’t fight. She bit her lip, wondering how a single moment alone with her thoughts had turned a beautiful night into such a sad one, and when she turned at the sound of the door opening behind her, a few tears had already escaped down her cheeks.

Myka smiled when she saw Helena, closing the door behind her, but her smile faded the instant she saw her tears. She immediately went to the dark-haired woman and tenderly wiped them away with her thumb, and Helena had to force herself not to shiver at her warm, gentle touch. “Christina?” the brunette asked quietly. When Helena nodded, Myka pulled her into a hug, once again rubbing her back and stroking her hair. “I’m sure she was watching,” Myka murmured, somehow understanding Helena’s pain better than she did for a moment. “She was watching you sing, and I’m sure she’s very proud of you.” Helena buried her face in Myka’s shoulder and the brunette held her tighter. “You sang so beautifully,” Myka continued, if only to fill the silence, but with truth nonetheless. “Your solo was absolutely wonderful.”

Helena gave a little laugh and pulled back to smile at Myka. “My ‘solo’ was sixteen measures, darling;  _your_ solo…you were incredible tonight, Myka.”

Myka blushed. “You really think so?”

Helena nodded. “I think Christina would have liked it.”

Myka’s eyes widened; for Helena to say something like that…. Myka was overwhelmed with honor and gratitude and a multitude of feelings she couldn’t even begin to explain or describe. “Thank you,” she whispered, voice hoarse. Without thinking, she leaned in and pressed her forehead against Helena’s, taking her hands. Helena didn’t pull away, instead making soothing patterns with her thumbs on the brunette’s skin.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, brushing her nose against Myka’s.

They stood there framed in snow, silent and soothing, their intimacy new and yet so familiar.

“Helena?” Myka finally began.

“Yes?”

“I…I….” She bit her lip, searching for the right words. “It…it just…it doesn’t make sense, but I….” She chose that moment to look up, and the look she saw in Helena’s eyes made her heart soar. It was one of longing and desire and wild hope tightly clung to, and it was all Myka needed.

“I love you, Helena Wells,” Myka said, never breaking her gaze. “I know we barely…that we haven’t even…but I do.”

Helena’s smile was brilliant as her laugh of relief and happiness left her in a gasp. “Oh, Myka,” she replied as she caught her breath. “Myka, I love you too, with all my heart.”

They laughed and cried all at once as they held each other in a fierce embrace, rocking back and forth on the sidewalk as they let themselves get lost in each other’s arms. When both had calmed, they pulled back just far enough to look at each other, once again pressing their foreheads together, giddy smiles never leaving their faces.

“I can’t explain it,” Myka said, breathless. “It just feels right…like I’d be incomplete without it – without _you_.” Helena said nothing in reply, instead cupping Myka’s cheek and pulling her in for a kiss.

To Myka, the rest of the world was suddenly inconsequential. All that mattered was the warmth of Helena’s lips, soft and sweet, pressed gently against hers, and Myka could taste every ounce of love that radiated from her. Swept up in the moment, Myka could only cling to her tightly and give her love in turn.

As the warmth of Myka’s love washed over her, Helena allowed herself to be lost in the woman’s embrace, the kiss consuming everything. At the cautious sweep of the brunette’s tongue against her lips, Helena willingly and eagerly opened her mouth to accept it, sliding her own tongue against Myka’s, drinking in the woman’s unique taste that Helena knew she could never get enough of. She felt Myka hold her a little tighter, and the dark-haired woman returned the embrace, pressing their bodies flush against each other as she tangled her fingers in Myka’s hair. Myka’s whimper of appreciation did not go unnoticed, and it prompted Helena to deepen the kiss even further, whimpering herself as Myka moved her hands up her back and into her hair, weaving her fingers through the ebony strands to pull the woman closer.

They had no idea how long they’d been caught in that warmth-in-winter heaven when the sound of the church door opening made them spring apart. They turned to see that Claudia was poking her head outside. “Hey, guys, I was wondering where you’d gone off to.”

“Just getting some air,” Myka said with feigned calm and innocence, hands in her coat pockets. Helena, however, was trying to hold back her elated grin along with the urge to start dancing up and down the sidewalk.

“Ok, well, we’re gonna be leaving soon, so we’ll see you out here in a few minutes.”

“Ok,” Myka called after her as she disappeared from the doorway. The instant the door had closed Helena gave in, bursting into joyous laughter as she spun in circles, arms outstretched. Myka broke into a wide grin of her own, catching Helena on her next spin and lifting her from her feet, swinging her around. Laughing all the harder, Helena let her joy ring out to the snow and stars before taking Myka’s face in her hands and tilting her head for another sweet kiss.

Both of them tasted snowflakes on their tongues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the RL references are from a Christmas performance I did in 2010. A certain alto may or may not be me (like Claudia in the story, my range is contralto). I did in fact sing the tenor part for every song in that concert except for “Carol of the Bells,” where I switched back to alto, and in “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” the basses and tenors really did have trouble with the rhythm and the jumps (which is why I still remembered both parts when it came time for the 2011 concert). The verses in “Gaudete” were solos when we sang them, and I did in fact take the solo…in soprano. When I was singing the chorus in tenor. Yeah. I’d post a link to the gorgeous Pachelbel “Noel” we did, but none of the YouTube ones are the right one. I might have to record it myself. Enjoy the music!  
> PS: You may have noticed that a lot of music came from Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration, the full video of which you can find [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDki7Vj0oIA).


	2. One More Sleep 'Til Christmas

The two women made sure Claudia and the others found them right where she had left them: standing casually on the sidewalk as they allowed themselves to be dusted in snow. Claudia wasn’t paying attention, however; she was giddily singing “ [The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl0Ku3UHinc&feature=related) ” with Pete. ****

“That’s not how the song goes!” Artie was groaning. The culprits just giggled.

“Technically, it is,” Leena pointed out with a grudging sigh. “It’s just a different version of it.”

“It’s  _appalling_!” Artie complained.

“It’s  _funny_!” Pete shot back.

Helena, who had been listening to the lyrics as they sang, wrinkled her nose. “I’m afraid I must agree with Artie on this particular point.”

Myka said nothing, instead surprising them all with a verse of “[Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3M7IR6jkpc)” during the drive home.

* * *

“Myka?”

The brunette was about to open her bedroom door when she heard the tentative voice behind her. She turned and blinked, startled by Helena’s demeanor; the normally confident woman was biting her lip and wringing her hands, glancing between Myka and the floor as she searched for the right words. “I was wondering if…Claudia was telling me about…if you wanted to sleep with – no, not sleep  _with_ , but…like a…oh, bollocks.” Helena swore, burying her face in her hands.

Myka, who found the whole thing rather adorable, put a comforting hand on Helena’s shoulder. “Yes, Helena, I would love to have a Christmas sleepover.” She chuckled when the dark-haired woman gave a sigh of relief. “Besides, we’re all having a pajama party downstairs anyway; we’re watching  _The Muppet Christmas Carol_.”

Helena frowned. “What’s a Muppet?”

Myka chuckled again. “You’ll see. I’ll explain during the previews.”

* * *

After Pete and Leena made a bowl of popcorn for each of them (most of which would be eaten by Pete instead) and Claudia  _insisted_ on watching the VHS copy of the film since “[When Love is Gone](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO_Y5lzSLZI)” was taken out of the DVD, everyone but Artie, who had grumbled into bed early, settled down in front of the TV.

“So…a Muppet is a…singing puppet?” Helena was confirming.

“Yup,” said Myka, settling on the couch. “Designed by a man named Jim Henson.”

“So…why are they called Muppets?” the Victorian asked as she sat on the floor in front of Myka, leaning back and looking up at her.

It was the brunette’s turn to frown. “You know, I really have no idea.”

“Everybody quiet down so we can sing along!” Claudia said, fast-forwarding through the ten minutes of previews during which Myka had intended to describe the gloriousness of Kermit the Frog to Helena. Deprived of her speech, Myka glared at her.

“Contradiction of statements, Claud,” Pete said.

“Is not. It’s like when you’re singing open mic at a club and nobody’ll shut up and listen.”

“And when have  _you_  been to a club?” Myka asked, fixing the girl with a piercing stare. The hacker shifted uncomfortably.

“Just…heard stories…you know…from other musicians….”

“Uh huuuhhhhhh…” the agent dragged out, unconvinced.

“Oh look! The movie is starting!” Claudia exclaimed, turning back to the TV. “Saved by the Muppet,” she added under her breath. Pete snickered.

Helena’s eyebrows touched her hairline when she got her first look at a London populated almost entirely by Muppets, but she otherwise said nothing as the movie progressed. “This is certainly not the  _Christmas Carol_ I remember,” she murmured when the song “[Scrooge](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBthi_An5qQ)” had finished. Claudia and Pete had remained silent for all of two lines before giving in and singing along.

“It wouldn’t be,” Myka murmured to her. “But it’s still fun.”

Helena’s fascination of the film abruptly faltered at the beginning of [Kermit/Bob Cratchit’s first song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzcUQuImIBY). The reason for her sudden lack of attention came in the form of Myka’s fingers slowly running through her hair, fingertips teasing her scalp. Helena glanced up at the brunette; she, Leena, and Claudia were singing along, still focused on the movie. Myka’s gentle actions were unconscious, automatic, and the fact that she was comfortable with it and hadn’t stopped made Helena’s heart ache in the best way. Smiling to herself, she went back to watching Kermit skate with the penguins.

Leena poked Claudia on the shoulder from her spot above her on the couch. When the girl looked up, the innkeeper nodded to their left. Casting a surreptitious glance sideways, Claudia’s eyes widened when she saw what was happening between her sister figure and the object of her mild hero-worship. When she turned back to Leena, still wearing a stunned expression, Leena mouthed “you owe me,” holding up five fingers. Claudia scowled and turned back to the film, but not before mouthing “aura-reading cheat” in return.

Despite the fact that their newfound and almost overpowering love made Myka and Helena want to curl around each other for the duration of the movie, the two managed to refrain from showing any overt affection beyond friendship besides Myka’s earlier, tender touch. Still, Helena wanted to crawl into the woman’s lap when she left everyone in stunned silence with her beautiful addition to “[Bless Us All](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEtXQku79q0),” and Myka wanted to drag her there when she felt the Victorian tremble during the mourning of Tiny Tim. Neither of them could keep from sharing a knowing glance during “When Love Is Found,” though, which prompted a similar, surreptitious glance between Leena and Claudia. Pete, thank God, was oblivious.

“So what did you think?” Myka asked Helena as the two of them headed up the stairs; Pete, Leena, and Claudia had had to drag themselves up each step before all but collapsing into bed.

Helena thought for a moment. “I thought it was lovely, actually. I can see why it’s something children enjoy, and why you and the others still enjoy it.”

Myka chuckled. “Be sure not to tell that to Claudia, or she’ll make you watch it until you know all the songs as well as we do.”

“If Claudia’s seen the film even half as many times as she’s claimed to, I’ll  _never_ know all the songs as well as she does.”

The comment had them both laughing as they reached Myka’s room, but Helena’s faded as she faced the actuality of staying the night with Myka, even innocently. Something inside her screamed that it was all too fast, that there was no way friendship could turn so suddenly to love, that she was making a horrible mistake and diving into everything too quickly. But then she turned to look at Myka, and the love in her eyes reflected back at her caused every doubt to dissolve. It wasn’t too fast because she had loved Myka from the start; she wasn’t diving so much as blissfully falling, embracing what made this new world most worth living in. When Myka smiled at her, Helena smiled back and followed her willingly to the bed.

Though Myka appreciated a good night’s sleep as much as the next person, she always felt vulnerable in bed and in dreams. She figured it was because of Sam: a cruel subconscious imprint of fear that associated falling into bed with someone to a resulting gruesome death that brought nightmares to life. But when Helena crawled in beside her, drawing the covers up to both of their chins, Myka suddenly felt strong – safe. Instinctively craving more, craving  _her_ , Myka scooted closer, and Helena draped her arm over her waist, tucking her head under her chin. Grin threatening to conquer her face, Myka reached over and turned off the nightstand lamp before wrapping her arms around the Victorian woman.

“G’night, Helena,” she murmured, lips brushing against dark hair.

“Goodnight, darling,” Helena murmured back.

* * *

 _“O, Holy night, the stars are brightly shining,  
I_ _t is the night of our dear savior’s birth…”_

_Helena opened the door of the B &B and looked outside. It was snowing in the dark, the ground already blanketed in white. Despite the apparently late hour, neither the moon nor a single star shone above; the only light was that cast by the porch lamp, leaving the world a few feet beyond the steps to fade into the black. On the porch in front of her, bundled up against the cold, two carolers smiled as they sang for her, not even bothering to look to the red music folders in their hands. Standing before her were Myka and, by the tall woman’s side, Christina._

_Helena smiled, feeling her eyes water as she looked at the two people she loved most in the world. Stepping back, she opened the door wider to allow them to come inside. Myka’s smile widened with thanks as she stepped through, but Christina didn’t move. Both were still singing, but Myka’s voice had grown fainter while Christina’s pierced the snowy stillness. Feeling a growing sense of dread, Helena went to the door, but found she could walk no further than the threshold. Panicking, eyes filling with tears, she reached for her daughter, silently begging her to come inside. Behind her, Helena could feel Myka’s arms wrap around her waist, not to pull her back, but to comfort her – to let her know she was there for her. Christina smiled a little wider and winked at her mother before slowly turning and walking away. Helena began sobbing as she continued trying to get to her little girl, but she could only watch helplessly as she faded into the darkness, only her sweet, clear voice remaining._

_“O night divine,_   
_O night…_   
_O night divine!”_

_When the last echoes had faded, Helena collapsed in Myka’s arms, the grief wrenching her heart warring with the love she felt for the curly-haired agent. She could feel Myka rubbing her back and caressing her hair as she murmured soothing words. A moment later, she began to sing again, her voice just above a whisper._

_“Bless us all who gather here,_   
_The loving family I hold dear…”_

_It was from the movie she and the others had watched that night – she and Myka and friends who were coming to mean so much to her. The Warehouse seemed to have a knack for creating families within its walls, and fate saw fit to put her in it._

_“Bless us all that as we live_   
_We always comfort and forgive…”_

_And Myka, beautiful, sweet Myka, the one who meant **everything**  to her. Besides her daughter, there was no one she loved or had loved nearly as much, and certainly not in the romantic sense. But even though Christina had walked off into the night on some unknown journey, Helena was realizing, there in Myka’s arms, that loving Myka and accepting her place in this new family didn’t have to mean letting Christina go. It was in remembering how to love that she remembered her, keeping her memory alive as she continued to live._

_“…and in our prayers and dreams we ask you, bless us all.”_

_Her tears abated, Helena lifted her head to meet Myka’s knowing, understanding, **loving** gaze. A smile finally gracing her own lips, Helena closed her eyes as the brunette pulled her into a kiss that meant and promised everything for eternities to come._

* * *

Helena woke to the sun shining through the window and a smile on the face of the woman in bed beside her. “Merry Christmas,” Myka murmured, kissing her forehead. When Helena didn’t respond, the brunette pulled back, and the look on the Victorian’s face made her frown. “Helena? What’s wrong?”

“Just…just a dream I had, darling,” Helena tried to brush off, glancing away.

Myka didn’t buy it. She pulled Helena into a tender hug, lips pressed against her forehead once more. “Wanna talk about it?”

Unable to deny Myka anything and needing to get the weight of the dream off her chest, Helena recounted what she had seen in her sleep, from the opening of the B&B door to the powerful kiss they had shared. When she was done, Myka stayed quiet for a long moment.

“I’m sorry you had to choose,” she finally said, voice quivering as she held back tears.

Helena immediately pulled back from the embrace and crushed her lips to Myka’s. “Don’t be, love,” she replied when she broke the kiss to breathe. “It wasn’t choosing so much as it was…allowing myself to let go, and to be happy again.” She snuggled into Myka, wrapping her arms tightly around her and smiling when she felt the embrace returned. “Don’t  _you_ let me go, though,” Helena added quickly, failing to keep the hint of sudden fear and desperation out of her voice.

She felt Myka smile against her hair. “Not a chance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe _The Muppet Christmas Carol_ to be the best Christmas movie of all time. If you have not seen this movie, drop everything and do so immediately.


	3. The Loving Family I Hold Dear

_Christmas Morning, Six Years Later_

Helena woke to the faintest hint of sunlight, the warmth of Myka’s body next to hers, and the sound of scampering in the hallway steadily getting louder. Myka smiled without opening her eyes. “Incoming,” she murmured. Sure enough, the bedroom door burst open a moment later and a four-year-old with riotous brown curls and dark, sparkling eyes launched herself at the bed.

“Mummy mommy mummy mommy mummy mommyyyy!!! It’s Christmaaaaaaasss!!!” She landed on top of her parents and started bouncing up and down.

Helena groaned and rolled over. “Yes, sweetie, we know it’s Christmas,” she mumbled before yanking the girl into a surprise hug and tickle-torture. She shrieked, and Myka winced, covering her head with a pillow.

“Ugh, what time is it?” the brunette groaned.

Helena glanced at the clock. “Six-thirty, darling,” she replied cheerfully, fighting to keep a smile off her face.

“I was up at five but Auntie Claudia and Uncle Pete made me wait,” their daughter said, finally having stopped bouncing. “We played Monopoly.”

“Figures those two would be up early,” Myka said with a roll of her eyes.

“Like it’s  _really_ going to change after all these years,” Helena commented.

“True, especially now that they have a partner in crime.”

“Evangeline Bering-Wells…” they heard Claudia sing-song from the hall. “I think Santa caaaaaame….”

“Presents!” Evey shrieked, leaping from the bed and sprinting out the door. Helena and Myka could hear the two girls clomping down the stairs, Pete calling after them.

The two women took a moment to enjoy the morning’s silent stillness, knowing it wouldn’t last long. After sharing a long, loving gaze, Myka smiled and pulled her wife into a soft but passionate kiss. “Mm, good morning,” she murmured against her lips.

Helena chuckled as they broke apart. “Good morning, darling. Merry Christmas.”

“Same to you, Helena.”

Their courtship, if their headlong dive into love could be called that, had lasted over a year. The threat of losing each other when Warehouse 2 nearly collapsed on top of them sent them tumbling into each other’s arms in a first frantic but tender joining beneath the desert night. When time was reversed to prevent the explosion of Warehouse 13, Myka knelt and proposed on the spot.

“We need to stop doing these things after near disasters,” Helena had commented.

“I’ve yet to hear you complain,” her love had replied.

Claudia and Steve, the Warehouse’s newest agent, were the ones who had figured out how to let them have a daughter who was truly theirs. It  _did_ involve artifacts, some of Claudia’s tweaking, and a fair bit of praying that Artie wouldn’t catch them, but all went well, and on December 17th, Myka gave birth to Evangeline Christina Bering-Wells.

Now, six years and a day since they’d first kissed in the snow, Myka and Helena lay content in each other’s arms on Christmas morning.

“We should get up,” Myka said, voice still thick with sleep.

“Do we have to?” Helena protested.

Myka chuckled. “Do you really want Evey jumping on us again?”

“Ah, good point.”

Reluctant to relinquish their closeness, the two dressed each other in their warm, fuzzy robes and matching slippers – Christmas gifts from the year before – and headed downstairs.

The entire Warehouse clan was already in the living room – even Artie, who was falling back asleep on the couch. Everyone was halfway through their stockings, and Evey and Claudia were squealing over iTunes gift cards: Claudia because she could get the latest Florence + the Machine album and Evey because she could get more audiobooks – like mothers, like daughter. When Helena was halfway through her own stocking, she pulled out a box of chocolate treats marked “Candy Coal.” She turned to Myka and slowly arched an eyebrow, the culprit herself trying to hold back a grin.

“ _Really_ , darling?” she whispered.

Myka smirked. “Oh, I think we’ve both done our fair share of  _naughty_ things this year.”

Helena actually blushed. “Ah, aisle 276A. Another good point.”

“You said it, not me,” the brunette replied, holding her hands up in a show of innocence. Helena scowled, reaching into Myka’s stocking and throwing a small pack of Twizzlers at her head. The agent caught them easily and immediately opened the package.

“Before breakfast?” Leena whined, seeing their antics.

Myka gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll only have one.”

“Yeah, right,” Pete, Claudia, and Steve all said at once. It was Myka’s turn to glower.

Thanks to Pete, Claudia, and Evey, presents were opened with record speed amidst flying wrapping paper and crows of delight. The others took their time, exchanging heartfelt thanks for each. When Helena got to her last present, she couldn’t help but notice that everyone but Evey and Artie – mostly because Evey was on Artie’s lap showing off her illustrated  _Complete Works of Lewis Carroll_  – was watching intently.

“Careful, it’s kinda fragile,” Myka said, and Helena couldn’t help but notice that her wife was blushing, her voice tentative. Casting a wary glance her way, the Victorian carefully unwrapped and opened the box.

It was a good thing she was sitting, for if she hadn’t been, she would have swooned on the spot. Tears filled her eyes as she examined the snow globe; within were the two unmistakable figures of her and Myka, arms wrapped around each other as they shared a loving gaze. With trembling hands, Helena twisted the key beneath the base and shook the globe, watching as the miniature couple made slow spins beneath the falling snow to the chime of “O Holy Night.” Gasping and placing a hand over her mouth, she looked to Myka for an explanation. Her wife was biting her lip and twirling a curl around her finger.

“I had it specially made,” Myka mumbled. “I thought it would – ” She was cut off as Helena pulled her into a deep kiss, gently placing the snow globe down before throwing her arms around her neck. After a startled moment, Myka returned the embrace with the same passion. Behind them, Evey made retching noises until Claudia reached over and bopped her on the back of the head.

“I take it you like it then?” Myka asked as they broke the kiss for air. Helena wrapped her in a tight hug.

“It’s absolutely beautiful, darling,” she whispered, pulling back to cup Myka’s cheeks in her hands.  _“Thank you.”_

Myka beamed. “Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary, Helena.”

* * *

That afternoon, Leena was dancing around the kitchen with Helena’s help while Artie and Myka set the table for Christmas dinner. Steve, Claudia, Pete, and Evey were sitting on the couch watching  _The Muppet Christmas Carol_ for the umpty-ninth time, Evey clutching her new stuffed Rizzo the Rat as the four of them [sang along with the Ghost of Christmas Present](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlRpGj7LWS4).

_“…It’s true, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas! / It is the season of the heart, a special time of caring, / The ways of love made clear….”_

Through the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen, Helena and Myka shared a knowing smile.


End file.
